By The Canadian Press

Vancouver Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld to miss start of season after knee procedure

Jan 27, 2026 | 1:35 PM

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps will be without captain Ryan Gauld to start the 2026 Major League Soccer season.

The club has announced the Scottish midfielder had a arthroscopic debridement procedure done on his left knee in Innsbruck, Austria, on Tuesday.

“We are pleased to hear that Ryan’s procedure was a success,” Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement.

“Following recent consultation with a specialist, everyone agreed that this was the best course of action at this time. We will continue to closely monitor his ongoing recovery and anticipate he will make a full recovery by April.”

The news comes after Gauld, 30, suffered a knee capsule sprain and bone bruise to his left knee when his leg hyperextended in a league game against CF Montreal last March. The injury sidelined him for more than six months.

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He made an immediate impact in his return on Oct. 1, coming off the bench to score and help the Whitecaps to a 4-2 victory over Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC in the Canadian Championship final. The victory saw the ‘Caps hoist the Voyageurs Cup for the fourth year in a row.

The club managed Gauld’s minutes through the rest of the season and he finished with three goals and three assists in five starts over 15 games across all competitions as the Whitecaps earned their first spot in the MLS Cup final.

Last month, Gauld said he adjusted his off-season training to accommodate his continued healing.

“I just took some time off the knee, just done a lot of work in the gym that didn’t involve running, and just tried to build everything back up and get it in a strong and stable place,” he said.

Gauld originally signed with Vancouver in July 2021 after playing for SC Farnese in Liga Portugal. He’s since logged 127 starts over 150 appearances across all competitions and set a franchise record for most goal contributions (99) in the MLS era. The total includes 46 goals and 53 assists.

In 2024, he inked an extension that will keep him playing for the Whitecaps through the 2027 campaign.

The Whitecaps are currently holding training camp in Marbella, Spain, and will play their first game of the season on Feb. 18 when they visit Costa Rican side C.S. Cartaginés in CONCACAF Champions Cup play.

They’ll kick off their MLS campaign at home against Real Salt Lake on Feb. 21.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

The Canadian Press